Is MS Dhoni the Secret Behind Kohli’s Sudden 2016-Style Dominance?

Virat Kohli kicked off 2026 in a great style, just missing out on his century. With the 2027 World Cup being taking place next year, this form of Kohli is giving some good signs to the Indian team. Just before the series against SA, the Run Machine also met with Captain Cool at his residence in Ranchi.

1. Kohli's Madness in 1st ODI

Rohit Sharma had a great start with the chase but he fell down after scoring 26. That's when Virat Kohli came in and he didn't look back. Kohli started the series against New Zealand in the same way he ended the series against South Africa. As soon as he came to the pitch, he started smashing boundaries.

Eventually, Kohli was able to complete his half-century in just 44 balls. He further went on to close into his century. But this time also, he decided to bring his ton with the help of boundaries. And unfortunately, Kohli was given out, being caught by Michael Bracewell. The century was missed but the intent was clear to the fans and also the Kiwis.

Virat Kohli has been on a whole different level from the series against South Africa. The runs just keep on coming from his bat and it never ends. However, before the series started, Kohli had met with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The first match between India and South Africa was at Ranchi, and this is also the city where Captain Cool lives.

A dinner was hosted by Dhoni, and Kohli was also invited for the same. Later, it was also seen that MS Dhoni personally dropped Virat Kohli back to the hotel. Both of the legendary stars of the Indian team were captured together for the first time since the IPL 2025 came to an end. And that meet seems to have changed things a lot for Kohli.

After his meet with MS Dhoni, or a wholesome reunion between two Indian stars, Kohli has come out on top in every game. He played well in the ODI series against South Africa, and he is now continuing the same form in the series against New Zealand. It all started from the first ODI against the Proteas, which was played at Ranchi.

Virat Kohli After Meeting MS Dhoni:

Kohli smashed 135 runs in this match, and he brought up another century to his name. Some thought it would be just the game in Ranchi, but Kohli had some different plans. He also went on to score a century in the second ODI, bringing up consecutive ODI centuries.

Even in the third ODI he could have scored a century. But the target came out to be short. Still, Kohli was able to win the Player of the Series award for his magnificent performances throughout the series. Following this, he went on to play for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was set to play just two games for the team, before the series against New Zealand.

His form continued even in 2026, as Team India played its first ODI against New Zealand. Chasing the target of 301 runs, the Chase Master decided to take the center stage. And he went on to score 93 runs off 91 balls, with 8 fours and one six.